Reflections POV: Casino
by Estsanatlehi
Summary: Here is the third installment of the Reflections POV character sketches. Thank you for reading and your feedback! I value them!


**Reflections POV: Casino**

The drive away from the headquarters/court martial was made in silence. As far as Casino was concerned, he wouldn't have heard a brass band playing next to him. There were so many thoughts and emotions running through him, he just wanted out of the car, whether to scream or take his mood out on the public at large.

They arrived at their lodgings for the present. Casino paced and paced in the great room until Actor drove him out. He went out into the alley, pulled out a cigarette, and continued the pacing. The actions of the last couple of hours, the argument, his storming out with the others, and all kinds of emotions were swirling within him.

First and foremost was self-preservation. He had no intentions of going back to Leavenworth. His only chances were New York, Jersey, or maybe Chicago. He could pull a share of what Goniff had gotten from Maxie to cover transportation and stake him. He had connections, a reputation. He could pick up pretty much where he left off. Or could he? Goniff could make his way in England and Actor could do well anyplace in Europe. Chief and he were the fish out of water.

"Of all the pig-headed, stubborn people I have ever met, you take the cake, Warden!" he seethed. "You don't know what's ahead for you. I DO!" He knew the Warden was a tough man, hell he had to be, to be first in his class at West Point, and the injuries he sustained on missions proved it, but he had no idea of what life in Leavenworth would be like. Life? It wasn't life, it was barely existence. It was claw, claw, claw for any little thing, especially self- preservation. Like Actor, he had the language and connections to make a life for himself on the continent. He was throwing all of that away, and for what? To spend years in that pit for something he didn't do?

Oh yeah, the Warden was human; he could fear and bleed like anyone. To desert the men under him? No matter how inexperienced he was or the situation, that wasn't Garrison. Still, he was a very junior officer at the time.

No, he still couldn't and wouldn't run. To leave men to die? No! He stood by him and the others when he could have gotten off a probable suicide mission. HE was the one wounded that day, not the others. He saw men from other units injured and caught the momentary look of pain and sympathy for others before the reality of survival and the mission took over.

He still felt a little sense of betrayal that he wouldn't come away. They put their lives and freedom on the line for him! No one would do anything like that in Leavenworth! It was self or die. Apart from guys who were family or gang, you look after yourself first. It was something he never dreamed he would risk for a stranger, even one who dangled the carrot of a parole for him.

He went back to the memory of that suicide mission. He went back to the memory of another mission where he ran to storm a machine gun nest so his men would be safe and that "bucket of tubes" could get back to the Allies. The memories of other missions came back of him staying behind to cover the safety of those in his charge. Then another memory played back. While he was turning down their offer of escape, he was concerned about them. He tried to get them to turn themselves in to perhaps get clemency for their actions because of their service. He shook his head. The Warden would never change!

Maybe that is why he was still here instead of striking out on his own. He wasn't the same cocky con of a year ago. He couldn't desert the Warden but didn't know what to do. He couldn't understand the man willing to spend years in the pen for something he didn't do rather than escape. He had made a comment about looking over his shoulder for years. Casino hadn't thought about that. That was a way of life for him, dodging the cops, nothing out of the norm. Apart from dodging the Krauts on missions, Casino doubted that Garrison ever looked over his shoulder at all in his life. He couldn't conceive of such a life. Maybe facing the verdict and sentence was just the only way Garrison could go.

He decided to seek out Actor and see if he had any ideas. As much as he teased him about being a dandy and "ladies' man", he knew the man could find ideas in the strangest places. As he had said to Major Richards, "No one knows what Actor is gonna do; that's what makes him the best in the business." Well, time to see if Actor found a rabbit to pull out of a hat; he hoped that hat had a lot of rabbits!


End file.
